1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an improved electrical connector assembly which incorporates a coupling nut, a mechanism being provided to prevent the accidental decoupling of the connector through vibrations or other disturbances. The mechanism includes a ring member which provides two functions, the first to secure the coupling nut to the electrical connector upon which it is mounted, the second to provide an anti-rotation feature which makes for ease in coupling and a greater resistance to decoupling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a constant need to provide improved electrical connectors to meet the rigid performance standards in the aerospace field. The electrical connectors should be easily and quickly coupled and decoupled with the use of reasonable forces. Hopefully, the connector assembly, once connected, should remain connected despite the vibrational or other forces which may be applied to the connector assembly which otherwise may tend to uncouple the connectors.
A number of patents have addressed themselves to this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,933 discloses an electrical connector having a plug and receptacle and a coupling nut to secure the connection between the plug and receptacle. The non-decoupling mechanism includes a series of ratchet teeth disposed about the outer perimeter of the plug and a curved spring sector which is housed in the coupling nut and includes a fingertip bent inwardly to make contact with the ratchet teeth. Although the mechanism allows the coupling nut to move more easily in a tightening direction than a loosening direction, the mechanism has a tendency to fail after a number of coupling and decoupling operations. In addition, a retaining ring is necessary to prevent the coupling nut itself from sliding off of the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No, 4,109,990 discloses another mechanism for maintaining the connector assembly coupled to a first housing and includes a spring mounted to a coupling nut and engaging ratchet teeth carried on an edge of the housing, the ratchet teeth being arranged in a particular manner which allows for ease in coupling and a greater resistance to decoupling. As noted with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,933, the use of the ratchet teeth and the spring arrangement disclosed is not reliable and tends to fail after a number of uses. A snap ring is provided to maintain the coupling nut on the body of one of the connector members.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,700 discloses an electrical connector threaded coupling nut lock, the locking mechanism comprising a series of circumferential spaced recesses for receiving aligned ones of a plurality circumferentially spaced projections resiliently mounted on the opposite one of the locking mechanism. Since a positive force is required to move the resiliently mounted projection between the recesses, positive force is also required to rotate the coupling nut in a uncoupling direction which provides a restraining force to prevent an inadvertent uncoupling when the connector is subject to vibrations. Although this patent provides a technique for preventing uncoupling of the connector parts, the mechanism disclosed for providing that feature is relatively complex and expensive to manufacture. A separate means is necessary to secure the coupling nut to one of the connector halves to prevent it from slipping off.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,910 is an electrical connector having a rotatable coupling ring, detent means being disposed between the coupling ring and the connector plug. The coupling ring has at least one interior axial slot, the detent means being releasably engaged with the slot when the connector is fully mated to substantially preclude inadvertent rotational movement of the coupling ring. As with the other patents set forth hereinabove, a mechanism (a snap ring in particular) is provided to retain the coupling nut on the electrical connector.
Other patents which relate to electrical connectors having mechanisms for minimizing the possibility of uncoupling of the connector parts due to vibration or other forces include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,669,472; 3,808,580; 4,355,854.
Although the patents described hereinabove provide anti-rotation or decoupling features which provide various advantages, it would be desirable if an electrical connector assembly having an improved non-decoupling mechanism which was more reliable, less costly, and more easy to assemble than those available in the prior art would be provided. Obviously, one of the techniques for reducing costs is to minimize the number of parts required and to provide an assembly which has multiple uses.